This invention relates to a carrier for holding an envelope-type pouch and for advancing the pouch through the various stations of a packaging machine. Devices for holding and advancing pouches are disclosed in Canfield U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,524 and in Lense et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,402. In the disclosures of these patents, the pouch is advanced in an edgewise direction and is gripped at its leading and trailing edges by two separate clamping devices which are carried on a chain. One of the clamping devices is adapted to be shifted along the chain and toward and away from the other clamping device in order to first open the top of the pouch preparatory to the pouch being filled with product and then to close the top of the pouch preparatory to the top being sealed.